In
a New
York Times
article published Friday, Hudson Taylor said he “loves” Ben
Cohen for standing up against homophobia.
“I love what he's doing,” the
24-year-old Taylor told the paper. “We need more Ben Cohens in
this world.”
Taylor, the Columbia University
wrestling coach who founded the anti-homophobia website
AthleteAlly.com,
was referring to Cohen's Acceptance Tour, a
four-city tour against homophobia in sports that kicks off next week
in Atlanta. The rugby star will also host events in Washington,
Seattle and New York City.
“He has a platform that allows the
message to carry farther and ring louder than my own,” Taylor
added. “We need more allies in positions of power to speak out.”
The openly straight athletes appeared
united in sending the message that ending homophobia, particularly in
the world of sport, will only happen when straight people become
involved.
“In a lot of people's minds, it's not
a straight person's issue,” Taylor said. “That's an obstacle
that has to be overcome.”
“It's massively important,” Cohen,
32, added. “Massively. Of course it is. I'm the other side of
that bridge.”